In the couple of weeks leading up to this race I’d been coming in to a bit of form in training so was confident of improving on my PB of 46:24, which was set 4 weeks before running the Northbrook 10k. When the day finally arrived it was my ideal running conditions: cool but not cold with very light rain – excellent.

The race starts within the grounds of Warwick Castle with the finishing line at Kenilworth Castle and this year had 4000 entries; 3071 would finish the race. I can only it was the light rain and weather forecast putting people off? The weather wasn’t as bad as forecast.

Anyway, enough about the weather!

After watching the mass warm up I went off to find the start with 20 minutes to spare before the start of the race – it wasn’t very clear to me where I should be standing with regard the time markers… they were small and I only saw 40:00 so I stood with it in my sights. Five minutes later and there was a mass movement to the actual startline rendering the markers useless anyway.

The race starts and we’re away… took me just over a minute to cross the line as the start is in a quite a narrow passageway.

As I left the castle I noticed ahead of me a Northbrook runner who I’d overtaken at the last minute in the Northbrook 10k so I figured I must keep up with her so notched the pace up to catch up and keep her within my sights.

The first mile especially was well supported with people lining the streets and, according the the garmin, I managed to get through it in 07:18.

My ‘private’ goal for the race was 45:30 but I’d told everyone sub 46:00 minutes which would mean knocking 30 secs off my PB and I felt I could do that. The inital pace kept me well within that goal.

Mile two flew by in 07:11 and it’s just after the point in the race you climb the hill at Leek Wooton, which after reading previous race reports had me slightly worried but I handled it okay with a reduction in pace with mile 3 went by in 07:30 – still keeping me on track for a my goal of 45:30. (I’d need the overall average pace of run to be 07:19ish)

Miles 4′s bit hazy in my mind with some ups and downs, I completed it in 07:23 so still on track. Mile 5 was also completed in 07:23 but I found that quite tough after entering Kenilworth we turn into a housing area and I didn’t enjoy that mile at all. It felt like the route weaved around roads and I can only imagine I was thinking too much about how tired I was.

Mile 6 was completed in 07:09 and was my fastest mile split. I’d managed to pull myself through the tiredness and up my pace to try and claw back some time.

As we approached the castle the support was loud – I’ve not run a race with so many people supporting – and in the rain too. The Northbrook runner I’d been just behind/in front of pretty much the whole race was just ahead of me and just like the Northbrook 10k a month earlier I overtook her in the last 200m.

While collecting my medal and t-shirt I noticed I’d not stopped my Garmin on so I’d not known what my finishing time was – I’d thought I’d gotten under 46 but was left doubting it.

Later that day the results were posted and I discovered my chip time of 45:28

Overall I was delighted with my time and that’s now the final planned 10k of the year over. After my next race, Asics Arden 9 ( * now run… race report to follow!) next weekend (19th June) my training will focus toward my first half marathon: Coventry Half Marathon, which takes place the day before my 30th birthday… 2nd October 2011.

Left it a little late getting out of the house for the run tonight, 9pm, as I had to eat when I got home as I was so hungry! Took it easy and my plan was to try and run it at an easy pace – 9 minute miles was the target – and I thought I managed it pretty well!

Today called for a planned “rest day” in my running schedule but being involved in Juneathon means that’s not good enough!

So tonight the girlfriend and I decided a walk ‘was on’. We walked the same route I walked solo last Friday – a 3.1 mile loop ‘around the block’ – although we extended it by an extra 0.25 miles. Within the first 10 minutes we passed the local running club setting off in their various groups and 25 minutes later we were passed by 10-15 of them running hill reps, “rather me than them” I thought

Terrible night’s sleep last night which I’m thinking must have been due to the late run I did (finished 10m). As I’ve got the race on Sunday and I’m supposed to be resting I’ve not done much on the exercise front today. I did, however, walk to the shop and back and, having measured this on walkjogrun.net, I’ve found that the distance totalled 2.13 miles – that’ll do for today!

From the shop I bought some of the basics… milk, bread and ham… but also some cherry drops(!)

Tomorrow I’ve got a nice and easy 4 miler. Although I’m thinking about upping that to 6 miles… I’ll see.